Gasoline economizer for combustion engines



F. CASANOVA GASOLINE ECONOMIZER FOR COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed March 25, 1939 V-3 Q28 w --+H V" 5 Sheets-Sheet l mysmom Famgms cAsmovA M m R YS July 28, 1942.

F. CASANOVA GASOLINE ECONOMIZER FOR COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed March 25, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 .3 .3 E NM m IJ iR. x

lNVENTOR F Y B July 28, 1942. F. CASANOVA GASOLINE ECONOMIZER FOR COMBUSTION ENGINES I 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March 25, 1939 mvcnroa- Famgous CASAHOVA av w%nz ,d5z@

ATTORNEY Patented July 28, 1942 GASOLI'NE scouoiyn ENGINES Francois Casanova, Nice. France Application March 25, 1939, Serial No. 264 270 In France November 4; 1938 3 Claims.

The present invention refers to an economizer for gasoline or similar fuel, adapted to be placed between the carburetor and the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine for substituting'. an intake of pure air for the intake of the fuel mixture, every time the engine is idling or is driven by the apparatus or the machine it normally actuates, as for instance, in the case of a motor vehicle, every time said vehicle is braked or runs down a hill, and the like.

In other words'the invention is particularly useful for coasting as it breaks the vacuum and admits air to economize on the fuel, but when th vehicle is running normally no air is ad mitted but'instead the usual fuel mixture.

This e'conomizer differentiates from similar apparatus of known types by virtue of a special device including a sleeve which is perforated with holes or apertures in the wall there of and is interposed between the conventional manifold admitting the fuel gases to the engine and the carburetor. Said sleeve has on the one hand, an interiorly located throttle valve capable of cutting off the supply of gaseous fuel mixture normally passing between said carburetor and the engine, and, on the other hand an obturating or closing member connected to, or rigid with,

the throttle valve and effective to uncover said apertures when the throttle valve is closed and cover the sam when said valve is open. This throttle valve and the obturator are both controlled by a vacuum pump actuated by any r0-' tating member of the vehicle, for controlling in opposition to the action of a returning spring, said throttle valve every time, during the operation of the engine, the driver ceases to press on the accelerator pedal, At this moment the intake of the fuel mixture is thus cut off by the throttle valve of the sleeve, the intake of pure air is open and, moreover, there is no need for the driver to act on the accelerator pedal for maintaining the idling of the engine since the intake of the fuel mixture is automatically re established as soon as the partial vacuum produced by the pump falls below a certain value.

Another feature of the invention consists in actuating by means of the pedal controlling the normal throttle valve of the carburetor, the member actuating the partial vacuum pump.

The features of the invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the forms of construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings. in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the economizer in the position corresponding to the total cutting off of the fuel.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view, with parts in vertical section of th arrangement according to the invention.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the slide valve controlling the air controlled valve, of which Fig. 4 is a View in vertical section.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a vacuum pump.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section of a modification to the economizer shown in Fig. 1 in position for the passage of the fuel,

Fig. 7 is a similar section corresponding to the total cutting off of the fuel mixture.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section made according to line II I -IIT of Fig; 2. I

The member I is a stationary sleeve adapted to be interposed between the flange of the carburetor la and the intake manifold lb of the engine; arrows indicate the direction of flow of the fuel mixture (Fig. '1). In the sleeve I. the throttle valve 3 controlling said flow is mounted on a transverse shaft 4 on which is secured a lever B. ,Said sleeve I comprises,- on a plane face I2, one or more apertures l -3 putting the intake manifold lb of the engine in communication with the atmosphere. On the shaft 4 of the throttle valve is also secured a segment I4 which can uncover theapertures 13 when the throttle valve 3 is; closed.

The omert or lever 6 is effected by a rod l5 (Figs. 2 and. 6 adjustahly attached to the free end of alever I6 the other end of which is pivotably mounted on an axle ll rigid with a chamber I8 tightly closed on one side of a diaphragm I9, the middle portion of which is seo'ured at 20 to the lever l6; the movements of said diaphrag-rntherefore control those of the rod [5 and. consequently, of the lever B, and of'the segment [4 determining the opening or the closing of the apertures l3.

Said diaphragm I 9 expand outwardly or in- Wardly accordingas the fiuid-tig'ht chamber 18 it closes is filled or enifitie'd or air through the pipe" 2 1 conheotedtea cent i i valve 22' (Fig. 2) comprising a casing 23 cont 'ng two chambers 24 and 25 separated by a diaphragm 26 and by a calibrated capillary hole 33. The chamber 24 is connected through the pipe 21 to the intake manifold; and chamber 25. through the tube 22, with a slide valv 29-. A flap-valve 30 moves in the casing 22 and abuts-on seats 3|; the tail of the valve is secured on th diaphragm 26.

When partial vacuum is exerted in the chamber 24, and in the chamber 25 through the calibrated capillary hole 33, the flap-valve 3D is pressed on its seat 3|, the diaphragm I9 is in its normal position. lever B is attracted by spring I and the apertures l3 are closed by the segment [4.

The movements of the diaphragm 26 which determine the operation or the system are controlled by the movement of the slide 29 rela tively to the air inlet hole 38 formed in one side of the guid 35.,

Said slide has a transverse channel 31; when this channel is in communication with tube 28, atmospheric pressure exists in chamber 25 of the valve. If th slide moves, chamber 25 is at the pressure of chamber 24 through the hole 33.

Finally, these alternations of pressure and partial vacuum in valve chamber 25 are func tions of the position of the slide 29 in the guide 35; the latter is connected by a rod 39 to the means controlling the carburetor la through lever 5 operating the conventional carburetor throttle valve 3a, said means including the accelerator pedal 42 connected by a rod 43 to said valve 3a, while on said rod 39 is provided a clearance adjustable by means of the abutment 40 of a spring 41 I The operation of the economizer is as follows:

As long as the driver presses more or less on the accelerating pedal 42, the throttle valve 3a of the carburetor is more or less open (position shown in dot and dash lines in Fig. 2), the slide closes the air inlet to the conduit 28, the diaphragm 26 is subjected on both its faces to the same partial vacuum existing in the compartments 24 and 25 communicating through the aperture 33, the valve 30 is lowered and atmospheric pressure is created in the chamber IS; the diaphragm 26 is stationary, the throttle valve 3 open and the obturator l closed. When the driver ceases to press on the pedal 42 (position shown in full lines in Fig. 2), partial vacuum is created in chamber 24, the flap-valve 30 is pressed on its seat 3!. When th accelerator pedal is completely at rest, the slide 29 is in the position shown in Fig. 3 in the guide 36 and air enters through 31, in the tube 28 and in chamber 25, pushing back the diaphragm 26, owing to the fact that partial vacuum exists in chamber 24 and atmospheric pressure in chamber 25. The flap-valve 36 is pressed on its seat 3[ and the chamber 24 is connected to the chamber l8 through the pipe 2| so that vacuum is created behind the diaphragm [9 which attracts the rod l; the apertures I3 are uncovered and the gas valve is closed. As soon as the accelerator is acted upon, the slide 29 moves, the inlet of air into chamber 25 is cut off, partial vacuum extends through the calibrated hole 33 of chamber 24 to chamber 25; the diaphragm 26 returns to the position of rest and the flap-valve 30 closes. The diaphragm I9 returns to normal position and the spring I restores the rod 15.

Instead of actuating th valve 22 by the par tial vacuum of the engine, a suction pump 42 in connection with the chamber l8 (Fig. 5) can be provided which is set in action by a Cardan joint 43 through the medium of a friction disc 44 and a driving pulley 45. This pumpcan be slidably mounted on a support 46 secured to the vehicle frame 41 and connected to the control of the carburetor by a link-work 48. A suitable transmission sets the pump in action as soon as the accelerator is no longer pressed upon, so that the pump sucks only when it is necessary to run with economy.

Figs. 6 to 8 show another embodiment of the throttle valve 3, in which the lever 6 is connected tothe spring 1 through the medium of a link 9 to which is secured the end of a flexible band ID, for instance a steel band, the other end of which is secured to the sleeve 1 at such a point that said band forms about the sleeve a loop extending over a large portion of its periphery.

In the position illustrated in Fig. 6, the throttle valve 3 is wide open and the band In is pressed against the periphery of the sleeve, thus closing a series of air inlet holes ll provided in the wall of said sleeve behind the throttle valve.

In the position illustrated in Fig. '7, the rod l5 actuated as stated by the partial vacuum pump 20, has closed the throttle valve 3 and uncovered the holes II, this corresponding to economical running. The driver having ceased to press on the pedal 42, the throttle valve 3a of the carburetor is in the position for slowing down, and the engine is only supplied with air under the action of the spring I, so that there is no need for the driver to act on the accelerator for avoiding stoppage of the engine. The feeding of the engine thus remains automatically ensured with the minimum consumption ofiuel.

What I claim is:

1. In connection with a carburetor having a conventional throttle valve and adapted for use on an internal combustion engine, a gasoline economizer including a stationary sleeve disposed between the throttle valve of the carburetor and the intake manifold of said engine, said sleeve being perforated by apertures in the side Walls thereof, a throttle valve within said sleeve and an obturator exteriorly thereof connected to said latter valve so as to be movable therewith in order to open or close said apertures, spring means moving said rod to closed position of the obturator, a fluid tight casing having a diaphragm occupying an open side thereof, a rod connected to said diaphragm and controlling the movement of said obturator and the second throttle. valve, a valve casing containing two spaced partitions separating the interior into three chambers, a pipe connecting one chamber with the interior of said fluid tight casing, asecond pipe connecting the interior of the intake manifold with the second chamber, a, slide valve for controlling the air intake, a third pipe connecting the interior of said slide valve with the third chamber, a flap valve movable in said first chamber to close alternately an aperture in the outer wall of said first chamber or an opposite aperture in one of said two partitions, a flexible diaphragm occupying an opening in the second of said partitions, means connecting said last mentioned diaphragm with said flap valve, and means causing the slide valve to open the air intake when the throttle valve of the carburetor is in the slowing down position,

2. A gasoline economizer according to claim 1, having an orifice in the second partition which supports the last mentioned flexible diaphragm and extends between the second and third chambers in the valve casing, and including linkwork connecting the slide valve to the conventional pedal controlling the throttle valve of the carburetor so' that when said pedal is released the air intake controlled by the slide valve is open.

3. A gasoline economizer according to claim 1, in which the obturator includes a flexible blade forming an outer loop overlying'the apertures in the sleeve and having one end secured to said sleeve, and an exterior operatinglever connected to the other end of said sleeve, said economizer also having an orifice in the second partition which supports the last mentioned flexible dia phragm and extends between the second and third chambers in the valve casing, and including linkwork connecting the slide valve to the conventional pedal controlling the throttle valve of the carburetor so that when said pedal is released the air intake controlled by the slide valve is open,

FRANCOIS QASANOVA, 

